My Heart's a Labyrinth
by 08FanfictionAddiction
Summary: After a heated argument with his friend Olette, he jokingly calls the Goblin King to take her away. When it actually happens, he learns he has 13 hours to solve the Labyrinth before his friend becomes a part of the goblin court forever. A/N: This is an AU fic so most of the people he knows, he has never actually met in the fic. I got permission from erisgregory to use the plot.
1. Prologue

**Title: My Heart's a Labyrinth  
****Chapters: N/A + Prologue and Epilogue  
****Author: 08FanfictionAddiction  
****Rating: NC-17  
****Pairings: Eventual Seiner and others I'll figure out as I go along  
****Spoilers: The labyrinth, N/A  
****Warning: Violence, language and substance abuse, sexual themes, maybe some smut  
****Genre: Romance, drama, fantasy  
****Summary: After a heated argument with his friend Olette, he jokingly calls the Goblin King to take her away. When it actually happens, he learns he has 13 hours to solve the King's Labyrinth before his friend becomes a part of the goblin court forever. I got permission from erisgregory to use the plot.  
****A/N: This is an AU fic so most of the people he knows, he has never actually met in the fic.**

**Note: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, the labyrinth (the book or movie), david bowie, or Scary Movie 2... as much as I wish I did.**

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**Prologue**

"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great..." said the chocolate brown-eyed and blond-haired boy currently in his underwear and standing on his bed and pointing across his room at a phantom, dramatically. He flopped down on his bed, chuckling and looked at his copy of The Labyrinth sitting on his bed. The book was better than people had said it was. He sighed and glanced at the book.

"Ah man! 'Lette is gonna be here in a few minutes!" he said. He ran to his closet, nearly killing himself by tripping over the clothes on the floor. He quickly kicked them under his bed and changed into some clothes. He stuck with his normal tank and camo shorts look.

"Hayner sweetie! Olette is here!" called his mom from downstairs. A light thump and and a shout was heard in response, causing Olette and his mother to giggle. A few minutes later, Hayner came down the steps two at a time.

"Hey 'Lette. Ready for movie night?" he asked. Olette smiled and helped him grab a bunch of snacks and head downstairs to the den. She was dressed in a cute outfit, not that Hayner noticed, since he had discovered he was gay a few years ago. He just hadn't found someone, which was how he ended up hanging out with Olette a lot.

"Have fun you two." Called his mother, as they head down. See Hayner's mother knew he was gay and she had no problem with it. It also became easier for Olette and Hayner to hang out at nights since she really didn't have anything to worry about. As for Hayner's father well, he had disappeared when Hayner was 7 so he didn't matter.

Olette set her bag on the couch. She began to search through the movies, while Hayner set up their movie area. Sure movie night was cheesy but he didn't mind hanging with Olette. She was his oldest, and usually only, friend. Mainly because a lot of the people in Twilight Town were homophobic, causing Hayner to get in a lot of fights. Good thing he was the reigning struggle champ, so he knew how to defend himself.

"Try not to pick any chick flicks Olette. I'm starting to get sick of those." He muttered. She pout slightly and stuck out her tongue. He sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. Olette switched on the TV and he noticed that Scary Movie 2 was playing. He smirked at her choice as she knocked his feet off to get past him. They ended up laughing and watching a couple movies for hours, laughing and chatting. Little did he know was that in a short amount of time, he would be wishing for this.

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-That's it for the prologue. Thanks to erisgregory who gave me permission to use the plot, based off a Fanfic she made.


	2. Chapter 1

Title: My Heart's a Labyrinth**  
**Chapters: 1 of ?/ + Prologue and Epilogue**  
**Author: 08FanfictionAddiction**  
**Chapter 1 Rating: PG-13**  
**Pairings: Eventual Seiner and others I'll figure out as I go along**  
**Spoilers: The labyrinth, N/A**  
**Chapter 1 Warnings: Maybe some language**  
**Genre: Romance, drama, fantasy**  
**Summary: After a heated argument with his friend Olette, he jokingly calls the Goblin King to take her away. When it actually happens, he learns he has 13 hours to solve the King's Labyrinth before his friend becomes a part of the goblin court forever.**  
**A/N: This is an AU fic so most of the people he knows, he has never actually met in the fic.

Note: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, The Labyrinth, or any of this (except in my dreams)

Chapter 1

It was about 1 AM when he noticed Olette staring at him.

"What?" he asked, staring at her. He had a feeling he knew what she was going to say. They had this conversation too many times.

"Hayner… you really need to find a boyfriend." She said. There it was. He sighed and paused the movie.

"Olette we've discussed this so many times. Twilight Town isn't the best place for that. Guys aren't exactly knocking on my doors. Besides, no one here really likes my attitude." He said.

"Hayner you're not exactly putting yourself out there either." She said. In fact it was as if he did it on purpose.

"Olette, please. You really don't need to worry about my love life. You have your own to worry about." He said, causing her to blush. She had been trying to build up the courage to ask this guy out. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. Oh crap. He had pissed her off. Hayner took his normal stance and crossed his arms, leaning back on the couch.

"Hayner, I'm not going to always be here. Besides, you need someone who can handle your awesomeness." She said. If Hayner hadn't been irritated at her, his ego probably would have inflated. Instead, he stood up and glared at her.

"Just drop it okay Olette?" he said. Even though she was his friend, she never knew the real reason why he didn't currently had a boyfriend. It was from something that happened a long time ago, when he was a boy. His uncle locked him in a closet and… did some things to Hayner. He shuddered a little, which didn't go unnoticed by Olette.

"What aren't you telling me Hayn'?" she asked, softly. _Damn she's perceptive… _he thought. He quickly turned, and left the den, taking the steps two at a time, with Olette following. He head through the kitchen and towards the front of the house before he turned.

"Why can't you ever mind your own business Olette? Just leave me alone!" he shouted, then he stormed upstairs to his room and slammed the door. He threw himself on his bed, muttering and cursing. He wasn't going to be able to sleep, so he got back up and went to take a shower, making sure Olette wasn't outside before he went and slipped inside. He made the water extremely hot and stepped inside, hoping the water would burn the memories out of his head. Olette sat on the couch in the den, giving Hayner some space. He was impossible to reason with when he got upset. Hayner got out of the shower and threw the same clothes back on, feeling slightly better. He still wouldn't be able to sleep though.

He looked at the struggle trophy in the corner of his room, then pulled the blue jewel, the one that came off the trophy, out of the pouch around his neck. He held it up to the light and looked through it, then tucked it away again and sat on his bed. He picked up the labyrinth from his bed and went over the words in his head. _Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way to the castle, beyond the goblin city… for my will is as stong as yours, and my kingdom as great. _He smiled, imagining the scene in his head. He jumped when his phone buzzed and he glanced at the phone.

**Olette: Hayner im sorry. Can we talk? We need to talk.**

Hayner sighed and dropped it on the bed next to him. H decided to just ignore her for the moment. His phone buzzed again and he glanced at it.

**Olette: Please Hayner. I know you're not asleep. Text back or I'll come up.**

**Hayner: Don't you dare!**

**Olette: Ha I knew it! Im coming up to talk.**

"I wish there was a way to stop her." Hayner said. He cursed and glanced at the book, then back at the door.

"Too bad the goblins can't take you way." He said chuckling. He listened and could tell she was in the kitchen.

"I'll do it. Don't think I won't." he said, threateningly as if he was in the book. He clutched the book, hearing her footsteps coming up the stairs.

"I wish…. I wish the goblins would come and take you away." He said. The footsteps stopped outside the door.

"Olette you might as well come in. I know you're there." He said, but he was met by silence. Frowning, he got up from his comfy bed and opened the door. Seeing nothing as he peered into the darkness, he frowned and made his way down the stairs.

"Olette?" he whispered into the darkness, using his phone as a flashlight. He made his way back towards the den, figuring she had changed her mind and head back. He got down, noticing the TV was still on, but he didn't see her. He then started to search around the house but found no sight of her. He frowned, but he wasn't panicking yet. She probably went for a walk or something, even though it was late or early… depending on how you looked at it.

**Hayner: Hey 'Lette. I'm ready to talk now.**

He leaned against the kitchen counter, waiting for a reply. After five minutes, he was panicking when she didn't answer. He called her phone, getting voicemail.

"'Lette, Call me back. I'm ready to talk." He said, leaving a message. Even though Twilight Town was pretty safe, it was better when they let each other know where the other one was. He was about to call her again and he heard what sounded like a cackle. He looked around him, slowly backing towards the stairs. He heard movement and looked around him. He ran upstairs, tripping over something invisible. He got to his room and saw shadows dart around. He couldn't shout because he had apparently lost his voice.

He heard whispers and snickers around him. The shadow started to take shape into hideous creatures of all shapes and sizes. He went to kick them away and they grabbed at him. He growled, frustrated and grabbed for his struggle bat next to the bed. The creatures backed off a little, but the noises they made grew louder. Suddenly, his window blew open and the creatures cheered. Confused, he didn't have time to react as an owl flew in the room and circled him.

He went to swat it away and it disappeared in a burst of light. The light faded and instead of an owl was a man, probably about the same age he was, yet way more intimidating. He wore a skin-tight, sleeveless, dark blue shirt, that revealed marvelous abs with a sleeveless white trenchcoat over that. He also wore dark, baggy pants and combat boots. Over his dirty blond hair, he wore a black beanie and he had the most piercing ice blue eyes that Hayner had ever seen, eyes that raked over Hayner and made him almost squirm. He also had a small scar across his nose, that made him all the more charming. The man leaned against the window frame. Hayner knew who he was, from the same description he read so many times. He was the Goblin King.

Hayner was confused and frightened, though he would never admit it. There was no way this was happening! Story characters didn't come to life! HE finally managed to get his thoughts together and he stepped forward.

"Give her back!" he shouted, surprised at the force behind his words. He gripped his struggle sword tightly.

The man threw his head back and laughed, the creatures joining in and making it more ominous.

"Don't worry your head over this Princess. You wished her away and I granted it." He said, indicating to the empty room.

"I didn't mean it!" he argued back. Of course he hadn't. How could he have known it would actually happen?

"Oh yeah sure you didn't Princess." said the Goblin King, smirking. He let his eyes rake over Hayner, then stepped off the window sill.

"Don't call me that!" said Hayner.

"Its either that or Chickenwuss, you decide." He said, crossing his arms and revealing his muscles.

Hayner forced himself not to stare. He grumbled and glared at the snickering creatures, who quieted down. The Goblin King tapped his foot impatiently as he wait for the boy to decide. Then he huffed in annoyance. They were getting off track. He pulled out a crystal, which caught Hayner's attention. IT had images in it but he couldn't make them out.

"I've brought you a gift, which I will gladly give you if you forget about that silly little Omlette girl." Said the Goblin King, moving closer to Hayner. Hayner noticed a greenish tint to it and he stared at it, and was so mesmerized that he didn't correct him on Olette's name.

"What is it?" Hayner asked, watching as the Goblin King started to move it around in his palms.

"A special crystal. One that will make your dreams come true." The Goblin King said. "What do you dream of Chickenwuss?" He had whispered the last part and moved closer.

"I just want to find my friend." Hayner replied, swallowing the lump that had formed at their close proximity.

"You're denying my little present?" asked the king. He scoffed and stepped back, the crystal forming into a snake which he tossed at Hayner, causing the boy to shout and swat at it with his struggle bat. It turned into a scarf and fell to his feet. The creatures laughed and the Goblin King had his smirk back.

"Im more powerful than I already look Chickenwuss. You couldn't take me." He said. Hayner glared at him.

"Where is she?" he asked, ignoring his statement.

"C'mon Chickenwuss, don't ask things you already know the answer to. She's there." Said the Goblin King. He point at something behind Hayner, then crossed his arms. Hayner turned, fearing what he might find… and what he did find. Staring back at him was a scene he had only ever read about, instead of the door to his bathroom which he was expecting. He walked through the sand-colored archway in front of him and saw a dark looking castle, surrounded by a labyrinth that stretched unevenly.

"The castle beyond the Goblin City…" he said. He turned back around and noticed they were no longer in his room, but on a hill, with barren grass and a dead tree, the sun just rising.

"You don't have to do this Hayner. You can go back to your room and watch TV; forget about all this. Just say the word and I'll send you back." Said the Goblin King, moving slightly closer and with an almost soft voice.

"Nope. No way. I'm _so_ not turning back. I have to get Olette back." Hayner said.

"Be warned. My labyrinth is a dangerous place. Few who enter it actually leave or… survive." Said the king.

"Please I'm a three-year running struggle champ. This Labyrinth doesn't seem too hard." Said Hayner, turning back towards the castle. He lift his chin and tapped the struggle bat at his side. He hated being called a coward, even if indirectly.

"It's more difficult than you might think Chickenwuss…" said the King, going back to the nicknames. "..but if you insist. You get thirteen hours to solve my labyrinth and if you fail, which seems likely to happen then you can say goodbye to the girly. She'll become a goblin and stay with us forever." He point to a clock hanging from a tree, smirking.

Hayner snarled at his insult and was about to say something, but when he turned towards the King, the man disappeared in a flash of light. Hayner grumbled and crossed his arms, turning back to the castle. He sighed and took his struggle bat, propping it on his shoulder.

"Guess I better get this over with." He said as he started jogging down the hill.

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-Thanks for reading. I'll start the next chapter soon. Please review! :)

A/N: Who should I have the next character be to play the role of Hoggle? I was thinking Axel or Roxas. Lemme know what you thik


	3. Chapter 2

Title: My Heart's a Labyrinth**  
**Chapters: 2 of ?/ + Prologue and Epilogue**  
**Author: 08FanfictionAddiction**  
**Ch. 2 Rating: R**  
**Pairings: Eventual Seiner and others I'll figure out as I go along**  
**Spoilers: The labyrinth**  
**Chapter 2 Warnings: mentions of nudity, torture and mild violence**  
**Genre: Romance, drama, fantasy**  
**Summary: After a heated argument with his friend Olette, he jokingly calls the Goblin King to take her away. When it actually happens, he learns he has 13 hours to solve the King's Labyrinth before his friend becomes a part of the goblin court forever.**  
**A/N: WHHHHHHHAAAAAAA! Sorry for the laaaaaaate update! Most of my focus goes to my classes these days.

This is an AU fic so most of the people he knows, he has never actually met in the fic.

Note: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, The Labyrinth, or any of this (except in my dreams)

* * *

Hayner jogged until he reached a steep point in the hill, where he slid down the rest of the way. He moved around a few knotted trees, seeing someone about 10 feet away and clearly pissing in, what appeared to be an empty, fountain. He blushed slightly and turned away, waiting for the guy to finish, then turned back, following the guy as he left.

"Excuse me? Um… hey! Can I ask you a question?" he asked, tapping the guy on his shoulder. He gave the politest smile he could manage as the guy turned.

"Yeah, maybe… probably… I guess…" said the stranger. He stuck out his hand after wiping them on his clothes. "Name's Demyx." He said.

"Hayner." Said the boy, shaking his hand with the one not holding the struggle bat. He took this moment to study the boy in front of him. He had pretty blue eyes and his blond hair spiked a little, going every which way before going down the back of his head in a mullet style. Hayner had an urge to play with it but he quickly shunned the thought. The boy was wearing tan breeches and a cream-colored, almost pale shirt. He also had a vest tied loosely around his chest, and a satchel with a pouch attached to it. Strapped on his back was an instrument case of some kind and his brown boots went almost to his knees. Hayner cursed himself for staring and released the boy's hand.

"Yeah I thought so." Demyx muttered, (was that bitterly?) His eyes traveled over the Hayner and the boy was glad his pajamas could pass for regular clothes. He was also glad he had on his signature camo look. The tips or his ears went pink as he blushed, the boy carefully studying him. He didn't have time for this. He needed to get inside but as far as he could tell, there wasn't a door.

"I need to get in the labyrinth." He said. The boy gave a cheesy grin and started to stroll away.

"Wait! I need to ask you if you know how to get in!" he said, jogging after him.

"So… ask me then." Demyx said. He was preoccupied though as he walked. Suddenly, he kicked out his leg and started to stomp on something next to the wall. He continued to walk and did the same thing further on only a few minutes later. Demyx looked down and noticed what looked like a little elf, with blond hair and a green dress with matching slippers. It had greenish blood coming from its mouth.

"Hey! Don't do that!" he said tying his bat to his hip and scooping one up. He held it in its hands and it smiled sweetly with some little charm. Suddenly it turned and bit his finger. He yelped and dropped it. Demyx double over in laughter.

"It bit me!" he said, shocked. He did look at the little fairy because of how it looked human.

"What did you expect it to do?" asked Demyx, wiping the tears from his eyes. His laugh lowered to a chuckle as he straightened himself up.

"I don't know! Grant wishes maybe? I just looked so nice and sweet…" said Hayner. He threw up his hands, exasperated. Demyx let out a snort.

"Shows how much you know." He said as he continued on his walk.

"Maybe not." Said Hayner. He remembered he was following the boy and quickly jogged to catch up. "So I was wondering if you knew how to get inside the labyrinth."

"Yeah I do." Said Demyx, almost cockily. Hayner wiped the blood off the bite from his finger.

"So are you going to tell me?" asked Hayner.

"Tell you what?" asked Demyx with a goofy grin.

"It's impossible to ask you anything!" said Hayner, his face turning pink with rage.

"You're just not asking the right questions." Replied Demyx the grin slipping.

Hayner huffed and shook his head. He took a couple breaths and said "Demyx will you please tell me how to get in the Labyrinth?" He gave the best polite smile he could muster which looked strange with his pink face.

"That wasn't hard was it. It's right there." Said Demyx, beaming and pointing at the wall behind Hayner. Behind him, what wasn't there a moment ago, was a door. The door opened and fog swirled out. Hayner shivered with excitement and nervousness, feeling like he accomplished something big. He glanced at Demyx, then stepped through and looked both ways. The pathways were littered with debris and branches. Demyx sauntered over and crossed his arms, leaning against one of the giant doors.

"Welcome to the labyrinth. Now then… which way you gonna go?" he asked.

"Haven't really decided yet. They don't look that different…" muttered Hayner.

"That won't get you far." Teased Demyx. Hayner frowned, crossly.

"Well which way would you pick?" he asked, arms crossed.

"Neither. It's scary and dangerous in there." Said Demyx. Hayner sighed and looked around again.

"You don't have to go… you could stay here… with me." Said Demyx. He had a small frown. Hayner sighed and shook his head.

"I can't. I have to save my friend." He said. Demyx chuckled sadly and shrugged.

"Had to try." He said, grinning sheepishly. "People who go in well… they never come out… and you're… well I've kinda gotten to know you and…" He sighed and rubbed his head.

Hayner looked over at the boy, surprised to see his mood had gone from cheery to saddened. He didn't have time to dwell over it though.

"Ok well… I'm going right." He said, nodding with confidence. He heard Demyx chuckle quietly.

"Seifer said you were stubborn." said the boy. Hayner looked over at him.

"Seifer?" he asked, wondering who that was and what else the two of them knew of him.

"Yeah the Goblin King." Said Demyx, bitterly.

Hayner shuddered at the thought of the king talking about him. He started to look for an opening in the wall, not letting those thoughts, or the thoughts of not seeing Demyx or Olette again, cross his mind. He decided to go right after all.

"You didn't tell me which way to go." He said, almost whining.

"Um I totally did." Said Demyx, rolling his eyes.

"You're no help!" said a frustrated Hayner. He growled and kicked the door.

"You take too much for granted." Said Demyx.

"Well see you Demyx." He said, frustrated. He turned and started walking. He was going to focus on beating the labyrinth and not on things that didn't matter. He started to jog down the path, which was getting frustrating, as everything in front and behind him looked the same. He stopped to catch his breath and growled.

"What the hell man? Its looks the same and seems to go forever!" he growled and looked both ways. He crossed his arms and sighed, leaning against the wall behind him a moment.

"Maybe… maybe it isn't. Maybe I'm just taking it for granted." He said. He stood up straight and started jogging again, dodging debris and ducking under branches. He searched desperately for an opening. After a few minutes, he growled and stopped running. He kicked the wall, frustrated.

"This is impossible!" he yelled. He swung his struggle bat at a low hanging branch. A voice near him made him jump and drop the bat.

"What's impossible?" asked the soft voice. Hayner looked around confused.

"Down here!" said the voice. A fairy with long red hair tied with a bow and a pink dress that zipped all the way up and down. She also had a red jacket thing and boots to go with it. It stepped out onto a ledge and smiled.

"Whoa… hey." Said Hayner, surprised. He kneeled down and leveled his gaze with her.

"I'm Aerith…. Are you lost? You seem lost." She said. She fold her hands in front of her and gave a sweet smile, observing Hayner. Hayner sighed. As much as he hate to admit, he was definitely lost.

"Yeah… I'm lost…" he muttered, rolling his eyes. Aerith shook her silvery wings and giggled, then covered her mouth.

"Sorry… I'm a pixie… No pause button on my mouth." She said, shrugging and rolling her eyes. "Anyways, you think the labyrinth impossible right? No openings or anything?" Hayner nodded.

"Yeah I've been looking around, but I don't see any." He said. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"You're just not looking hard enough." She said, giggling. "Like theres one right there." She point past him at the wall. Hayner looked, then gave her a weird look.

"It's just solid wall." She said.

"You're not looking hard enough. Use your eyes!" Said Aerith, stamping her foot. "Go on. Check it out."

Hayner picked up his struggle bat and slowly stepped forward, bat out in front of him, trying to figure out what she wanted him to see and he wasn't about to run into the wall. He kept walking and instead of touching wall, he smiled and stepped forward hesitantly. He smiled back at Aerith. He found he had walked through an entrance and could now choose a way to go.

"Hey thanks!" he said, strapping the bat back to his side.

"You're welcome… just don't go that way." Aerith said, hands on her hips. Hayner nodded and turned around, going the other way.

"Whoo… if he had gone that way, he would have gone straight to that castle." Said Aerith. She shrugged, satisfied and disappeared.

Hayner continued down some narrow passageways. This path was clear, no vines or broken sections. He began alternating turns, zig-zagging and hoping that he was getting closer to the center. Whenever he reached a dead end, he slowly followed his path back, wishing he had some way to keep track of the places he had already been. When he came to a dead end again, he turned around but was faced with a solid wall.

"It changes? That's not fair!" he said, frustrated.

Some laughing behind him caused him to whirl around. Where there had been nothing, there was now a statue. They were life-like, and they had their arms linked together, the top half of their bodies not stone. One was shorter than the other, with short black, pixie-like hair and she had what seemed like ninja clothes. The other had on darker clothes, with very long dark brown hair. She seemed somewhat intimidating.

"Whoa… you freaked me out… just coming out of nowhere like that." He said. He sighed and rubbed his head.

"Yeah Tifa has that effect on people." Said the shorter one, her top half shrugging as she point to the other girl. The other girl didn't really say anything, just watching him with intense eyes.

"Yeah um… do you know the way out of here?" asked Hayner. They glanced at each other, then back at him.

"Yeah me and Yuffie do, but we can't… tell you." Said the other girl, finally speaking up.

"Well then what do I do?" asked Hayner, trying to be as calm as possible.

"Just solve our riddle." Said Yuffie, smiling. "If you answer right, you'll find the correct door out." She seemed really excited that someone was here. Hayner sighed, not enjoying riddles.

"And… if I don't answer right?" he asked, fearing what he might hear.

"You get a door somewhere else." Said Tifa, slowly relaxing.

"Alright. Tell me the riddle." Said Hayner.

"Okay. Poor people have it, Rich people need it and if you eat, you die. What is it?" asked Yuffie. Hayner made a face and thought, lots of things running through his head.

"Nothing seems to fit…" he muttered to himself quickly, arms crossed. Then he paused a minute and smiled. "That's it!" he said. He turned to the girls.

"The answer is nothing. The poor have nothing, the rich need nothing and If you eat nothing you'll die." He said, smirking. Suddenly a metal door appeared and Hayner carefully swung it open. He cautiously stepped in.

"Good luck!" called Yuffie, waving at his retreating figure. Hayner was feeling good. Everything seemed easy so far. He stepped forwards slowly, following a tunnel passageway. He grabbed a torch on the wall and continued on and felt something familiar. Then he noticed what it was. He smelled what seemed like the ocean. After all, Twilight Town had a beach so the smell of the ocean was hard to forget. The scent made his pace quicken, longing to return home so him and Olette could go. The passage curved ahead and when he round it, he found a light. Moving closer, he found hedges in a row with Demyx standing next to them. He strummed lightly on a sort of instrument, which he lowered when he noticed Hayner.

"Oh hey Demyx." He said. He gave a short wave and tossing his torch aside.

"Shh… I shouldn't be here but when you solved the riddle that fast I… well… I felt I had to warn you." Demyx said, stammering slightly with a finger to his lips.

"Warn me about hat?" asked Hayner. He shivered when Demyx moved closer to whisper in his ear.

"Seifer won't like you getting through so quickly or easily. Don't get cocky because you solved one riddle." Demyx whispered, giving Hayner goosebumps. Then he pulled back, locking gazes with Hayner.

"Come with me." Said Hayner. Demyx chuckled dryly.

"I was going to ask the same but we both know you're going on. Just… keep my advice in mind okay?" He said. He walked past Hayner, leaning the inrtument against his shoulder and disappeared the way he had come from. Hayner head past the hedges and came into a courtyard where he could see more of the maze. He could see a table that appeared set for a party and sitting at the end of it was a figure with their head down and wearing a strange, misshapen hat and lots of colorful, layered clothes.

Hayner smirked a little, making his way to the figure. He backed towards the wall, hoping to sneak away by silently following it and not alerting the man. His plan failed when he knocked over a potted plant that crashed. He silently cursed himself as the man's head shot up. He went to apologize but then the hat fell, causing Hayner to step back in surprise as the Goblin King strode towards him.

"Hey chickenwuss. Definitely smarter than you look. Didn't think you'd solve my riddle that quickly… and I don't think I like that." Said the king staring down at Hayner, almost sneering. Hayner scoffed.

"You picked a pretty childish riddle. It wasn't that hard to figure out." Hayner said, trying to be as intimidating as the King, but he didn't feel as defiant as he was trying to be. The king was standing awfully close to him. Seifer. He tried the name. It seemed to fit the king. Seifer smirked and leaned back a little.

"Tell me if I'm wrong but… are you saying that my labyrinth is too simple?" asked the King, holding up his hands and gesturing to the walls.

"Please I could do this in my sleep." Said Hayner, rolling his eyes. The king grabbed Hayner's vest with a fist and pulled him off the ground. He pushed him back against the wall and moved closer.

"I'll have to up the stakes then won't I?" he said, dropping Hayner to the ground.

"Bastard…." Muttered Hayner, kicking out his foot at the king. The king laughed cruelly and stepped back from the kick. Hayner mentally cursed himself. What if the King killed him right now? What would the king do to him? He jumped up and grabbed his struggle bat, pointing it at the king. He screamed, frustrated and took a swing. The king laughed again and disappeared in a flash of light.

Hayner quickly left the courtyard, entering the maze again. There were a lot of thick hedges and thick grass. He zig-zagged quickly through the paths, not noticing that he was walking into a trap.

One minute he was nearly running and the next minute he was caught in a net and struggling on the ground.

"That him?" said a voice near him.

"Matches the description. Definitely ugly." Said another.

"Hey! Let me go bastards!" he said, trying to use the struggle bat to escape, but no one was listening.

"Is it dangerous?" said the first voice.

"Yes. Drag it by its feet." Said the second. They came to his other side and he could see they were hideous goblins in black armor, with navy and red flags. Hayner growled and struggled, trying hard to escape. They tied him to a beast and it dragged him for a while. The trip was short and soon they were at what looked like a fortress, with dark stone and very obtuse in shape. There was a drawbridge and similar banners to the ones the goblins had. Soon they stopped but he couldn't really see around him.

"Cut it lose." Said a a feminine voice that Hayner couldn't see. The net was removed and the rope was cut off. Hayner rolled a little and saw the voice of the command. Standing near him with a hand on her hip was a short blond woman. If he was straight, he would say she had a great figure. Her blond hair went about halfway down her neck but was slicked back and she had two antennae- like strands of hair that stood up and were slightly slicked back. She had bright green eyes and a mischievous smirk.

She wore an almost skin-tight, gothic style, black dress that reached her shins and showed quite a bit of cleavage. She had on long boots that reached her knees and tied almost all the way up. She had a black and extensive scarf, almost snake like that hung on her shoulders. Hayner sweat a little as she twirled a knife in her fingers.

"Hello… _angel." _She said, nearly spitting the word. "My name is Larxene and I'm to take _very _good care of you." She looked him over, making him feel surprisingly self-conscious.

"You seem to be a lovely angel. Too bad I cant see your wings." She said, smirking and crossing her arms.

"Wings? What the hell are you talking about?" asked Hayner.

"Oh he's feisty too. I like that. Seifer told me he was. He also said the angel had magical powers so strip him!" said Larxene. She smirked, leaving a very shocked and pissed off Hayner. He swun his struggle bat, knocking out a few. He had a pretty good fight with them but he was outnumbered so in the end, he shivered naked on the cold floor. They bound his hands and shoved him forward.

"What do we do with it?" asked one of the goblins from earlier.

"Put it next to the Leprechaun, that way the angel can see what happens if you disobey Lady Larxene." Said the one that appeared to be in charge. Hayner nearly snorted at the word lady.

* * *

**Omg finally! Again, sorry for the wait. I promise I'll try to get out chapters faster. Anyways, please review and tell me how im doing. I'll go ahead and start the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 3

Title: My Heart's a Labyrinth**  
**Chapters: 3 of ?/ + Prologue and Epilogue**  
**Author: 08FanfictionAddiction**  
**Ch. 3 Rating: R**  
**Pairings: Eventual Seiner and others I'll figure out as I go along**  
**Spoilers: The labyrinth**  
**Chapter 3 Warnings: mentions of torture, language and dark themes**  
**Genre: Romance, drama, fantasy**  
**Summary: After a heated argument with his friend Olette, he jokingly calls the Goblin King to take her away. When it actually happens, he learns he has 13 hours to solve the King's Labyrinth before his friend becomes a part of the goblin court forever.**  
**A/N: Surprise, surprise! I finished the third chapter too! Two chapters in a matter of a few days!

This is an AU fic so most of the people he knows, he has never actually met in the fic.

Note: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, The Labyrinth, or any of this (except in my dreams)

Hayner felt humiliated. So much so, in fact, that he hadn't noticed when they were back outside. He saw a garden and lots of flower beds and neatly trimmed bushes. The path they were on curved and went up. His eyes grew wide as he heard screams ahead of him. He started to sweat nervously, especially when he heard the talk of the goblins behind him.

"What do you think will look good on him?" asked one of them.

"Black and blue bruises on his arms and legs." Hissed another.

"Ooooh and red lashes on his back." Said a third. They started to cackle evilly. Hayner decided just to focus on the sounds ahead of him. The path curved again and he found the source of the screaming. A centaur, majestic and mighty appeared almost broken. It struggled against its restraints and had red crisscrossed welts on its back. Hayner looked away and noticed cages passed the centaur.

The cages were almost like stable stalls and each held a mystical creature of some sort. IT was like some sort of horrible zoo because of the injuries some of them had and Hayner couldn't believe his eyes as he read the nameplate labeling what they were.

Manticore… fairy… satyr… vampire… werewolf and even a unicorn. He looked at them in awe, then had to turn away. They were all injured and some had parts that were charred by fire. He had no idea why they were here and why they were like this, but he didn't want to. Finally they came to a cell that was labeled "Angel" They stopped and he was prodded in. The door was shut behind and he turned and kicked it, growling. He got a rattle in return but it didn't seem to budge. He hit it a few times, then sighed and walked to the wall. Grumbling curses under his breath, he sunk into the corner, hugging his knees and figuring it would at least cover his nudity a little.

"You aren't really an angel." Said a soft and slightly deep voice nearby, more like telling than asking. Hayner looked around, seeing no one on his left, but in the cage to his right was a boy, but he looked like he was older than he let on. The boy had dark blue eyes with bangs that hung in his face to almost his chin and only covering half his face. The one eye Hayner could see was a matching dark blue. The boy wore slightly tattered black clothes and held a leather-bound book of some kind. He looked… slightly cute Hayner would admit and healthy although from what he had been seeing, he couldn't help but worry about the boy.

"No I'm not." Said Hayner. He sighed and laid his head back against the stone. The boy appeared to give an ever so small smirk, then sighed.

"I thought not." He said. He pulled his book closer, sliding slightly towards the cage wall. "I'm Zexion." He said.

"Name's Hayner." Said Hayner.

"I'd say nice to meet you…. but I'm not one for formalities… Besides I don't think… given the circumstances… you'd appreciate it." Said Zexion. He glanced at his book again, before snapping it shut, causing Hayner to jump and hold himself tighter to hide his shame.

"Hey… calm down. I think I can help." Zexion said.

"Why? Is it because you're a leprechaun?" asked Hayner almost doubtfully. Zexion actually did smirk this time and gave the slightest shrug.

"You could say that." He said. Hayner stared at the boy. He didn't look like a leprechaun in fact, he looked the complete opposite. If it wasn't for the pointed ears, Hayner would have figured him a normal human. Then again, he was starting to learn not to take anything for granted.

"Can you get me out of here?" he asked.

"I can give you information that will aid in your escape." Said Zexion. Suddenly, they could hear voices faintly coming towards them and soon with that, footsteps. Hayner couldn't really see what made those noises though.

"Just play along." Whispered the leprechaun. Hayner nodded and glared at the door of his cage. Larxene came into view of the wall in front of him, holding a bundle in her arms as if the thing insulted her, then tossed it inside the cage. She smirked when she saw Hayner.

"Afraid of me already? I promise I'm going to take good care of you." she asked, laughing cruelly. Hayner gave her his best "bitch, please" look. She rolled her eyes and scoffed, offended.

"Look the carnival is today and you're my main attraction. No one's going to hurt you…. Today." She said, smirking evilly as she emphasized the word today. Hayner glared at her.

"Listen, angel… your pretty eyes are just what I need to get into the Prince's good graces. No one wants to see a battered celestial being… Got it? So you're safe today. No one will lay a finer on you." She said. She looked over into the next cage and stared at Zexion, who held her gaze for a minute as if they were silently communicating, then she looked back at Hayner. "Just let everyone play their parts." She said. She looked around, then turned and walked away, putting some sway in her hips. Hayner almost snorted but he didn't, fearing she'd hear. He wondered what she meant though.

"Hey do you think you could… you know…" said Hayner, spinning his fingers. Zexion huffed and turned around. Hayner scrambled over to the bundle, undoing it.

"Hey my clothes!" he said loudly, mostly for Zexion's benefit. He noticed they also returned the struggle bat, probably figuring it was harmless. He quickly put them back on, feeling comfortable in his usual camo and tank. He sighed and pulled his struggle bat close.

"Okay. Much better." He said. He moved closer to the side of the cage to talk better with Zexion who turned around and gave a nod.

"So… this information then?" asked Hayner, bending his lag and propping his struggle bat against it.

"Yes well what Larxene…" Zexion said, her name seeming to put a bad taste in his mouth, "is easy to understand so I'm going to get down to the basics about class and words." He flipped open his book.

"Class and words?" asked Hayner. Zexion showed him a page about goblins.

"Ever wonder why Seifer and Larxene don't look like these guys? Well obviously they aren't like the others… I won't get into the why, but I'll tell you the who." Said Zexion. Hayner could see Larxene had some power but he admit he was confused, causing Zexion to sigh.

"Hayner there's a social order here and Larxene is definitely higher up. Well she doesn't work under the King; she works under the prince, Axel. Axel and Seifer aren't related but Larxene gets granted some power. That's not important. What's important is today's carnival because Larxene wants the Prince's attention. She wants him to herself." Said Zexion. Hayner gave him a look.

"How does this help me?" he asked.

"Larxene is going to be preoccupied with the carnival. I'm surprised she even came to visit. She's trying to climb the social ladder and she won't be hanging around at all today. Do you get what I'm implying?" asked the Leprechaun. Hayner was starting to understand.

"The guards are armed." He pointed out.

"True… but remember what Larxene said. They aren't to lay a finger on you." Said Zexion. Hayner started to give a hopeful smile.

"So…. You're saying I can literally get away because they won't be able to touch me? I can just walk right out of here?" He asked.

"It won't be that simple but once you get out, I suggest running. It won't take that long for word to reach Larxene's ears." Said Zexion. Hayner nodded, feeling more hopeful and slightly thrilled as the adrenaline started pumping.

"Okay I'll run. I don't even know how I was supposed to show off my powers. Besides, I have… unfinished business." Said Hayner. He heard voices again, followed by slow footsteps. He had a couple more questions to he pressed on quickly.

"The goblins said I was brought here so I could what happened to those that upset Larxene, so when I saw you I thought you'd be…" He said, his question fading out.

"Obviously not." Said Zexion.

"That's what the goblins said." Replied Hayner, shrugging.

"You were brought here this is where you were always headed." Said Zexion, his eye(s) twinkling mischievously.

"Then what about what they said about Larxene?" asked Hayner.

"Larxene and I have a complicated friendship…" said Zexion. His eyes glazed over as he stared off into the distance. The goblins came and unlocked their cages. They mostly urged Hayner not, who mouthed a silent "thank you" to Zexion and got the nearly invisible smirk in return. Slowly Hayner made his way out and the goblins carefully stepped back with their spears, fearing they'd hurt him. Hayner took another step to test them out, making them step back more. Then he bolted forward, giving a swing of his struggle bat, making all the goblins jump back. They scattered and he used that chance to run, hitting a goblin out of his way at the same time. He ran down the path and through the zoo, the goblins yelling at him and arguing about what to do. He knew they were following him but he had longer legs.

He found himself facing the labyrinth again as the zoo disappeared behind him. He came to a three-way split and the adrenaline told him to keep running but that was a good way to end up caught. So he carefully checked all the path. The left one circled back around and the right one continued in a straight line so they were no's. The center one appeared to have some turns in it and continued in the direction he was facing. He figured it was his best bet so he continued on. He hoped it would take him closer to the castle and farther from Larxene's lair.

He ran for a while, then stopped to catch his breath. He needed a plan… some way to keep track of the paths he took. Suddenly, he heard faint giggling and humming. It sounded sweet and soulful and called to him. He followed it and a few turns and an archway later, he came across a marvelous white-marble fountain. There were statues and as he followed the low tides, he found the source of the giggling and humming. Dancing on the water was a dryad. She wore a long ball gown that had the shape of her figure, the bottom part of her dress a lush green from her waist down and it faded into pink and almost real flower-like at the top with vine-like straps. The dryad had silky and flowing brown hair with bangs that covered her face. She danced gracefully on top of the water, humming.

He was drawn forward, mesmerized. He had never met a dryad before and she seemed to be calling to him. She saw him and giggled, stopping in the middle of her dance.

"Don't come any closer." She chided, her voice soft and sweet.

"Why?" asked Hayner, trying to resist, but he wanted a closer look at her.

"You've fallen under my spell and if you come closer, you'll be trapped and I'll be forced to bring you home with me and the bottom of this fountain." She said, laughing softly. Hayner couldn't move his feet willingly so it was a safe bet she was telling the truth.

"Don't worry. You'll be able to walk away after you answer my riddle. First things first though… My name is Kairi." She said, pointing to herself. Hayner just nodded, causing her to giggle.

"Okay here it is. All about, but cannot be seen. Can be captured, cannot be held. No throat, but can be heard. What is it?" asked Kairi. Hayner sighed as he went through all his thoughts, dreams and even memories, then suddenly he was given clues. A lite breeze fluttered around him and he could hear Olette's voice.

"_I like watching the sailboats. I like the way the wind catches the sails… It makes me wish I could fly and just float around… see everything…" she said. Hayner remembered that day clearly. It was a summer day, one close to the end of summer vacation and they were both sitting on Sunset Hill and eating Sea Salt ice cream…._ Hayner shook his head. He was in the middle of a riddle and he was unnerved by the fact that he didn't know how much time had passed.

"It's the wind. The answer is the wind." He said. Kairi clapped and squealed in excitement, nodding. She point at an archway opposite of him. Hayner nodded in thanks and quickly head through, determined to find out the time.

He was barely two feet away from the place when there was a flash of light behind him and he heard her yell "He gave the right answer!" He barely had time to register, before the floor underneath him vanished and he was falling through darkness. He reached out into the darkness, hoping to find something, anything to grab onto. He continued to fall and eventually he became unconscious.

When Hayner woke up and saw nothing, his first instinct was to attack, whether he was dead or alive, so he swung his struggle bat, finding nothing. It had felt as if someone caressed his face but maybe that was from hitting his head. He groaned and sat up, realizing that he was, in fact, alive because he was sitting on something hard and cold. He rolled over to stand up, then practically jumped at hearing a voice from nowhere in particular.

"Hey watch it Chickenwuss. Wouldn't do that if I were you." Said the king's voice. Hayner shivered slightly as if the voice passed right by him.

"Oh yeah? And why not Bastard?" asked Hayner, using the new nickname he assigned for the king. He was cold and blind but he wouldn't show how it affected him. The king laughed darkly and coldly.

"Well you could but then you'd fall off the edge and you wouldn't stop." Said the King.

"Where am I?" asked Hayner, his hand gripping the struggle bat.

"This Chickenwuss… is called an Oubilette. To make this simple, you're basically along on a tiny island of stone with an eternal pit all around it. Its small and you'll die if you step off it. Neither your intellect, biting wit or stubbornness, nor annoying leprechauns and mythical creatures can help you. Its just you, me, and the dark for as long as I wish. In fact. I could just forget out you." Said the king in a haughty voice.

"You're just afraid I'll beat your labyrinth." Said Hayner, smirking, not like anybody could see it.

"And that's why you're here Chickenwuss. To think about how you should have just accepted my gift back in your room." Replied the king. Hayner had no response to that. The only thing, that was always at the back of his mind, was saving Olette.

"Whats wrong Princess? No witty remarks? No comebacks? Fine… I'll leave you in the dark." Said the king. Hayner was left alone… to remember how much he hated dark and small spaces. He had bad memories of them and he was starting to feel… claustrophobic. He started to take deep breaths and find something to focus on. Escape.

He rolled over again and started to feel around for the edge. Finally he found it, about a foot in front of him, he continued to feel around for it, finding it to be perfectly round. He moved towards where he guessed the center was and lay himself out to know where the edges were. He starting to lose his breath. The darkness… was so thickening… He was drowning it… and it truly scared him. His eyes welled up with tears as he tried to breathe calmly.

"Don't give up hope yet." Said a voice that was familiar. It made Hayner relax slightly as the drowning feeling started to fade and he sat up.

"Demyx?" he asked, looking around in the darkness.

"Totally. Okay so… I'm going to get you out of here." Said Demyx, sounding sure.

"How? Theres no way off." Said Hayner.

"You're going to have to trust me and walk towards my voice. The drop isn't that far at all but far enough that you can't reach it with your hand. You can just step down on a platform and come to me." Said Demyx's voice.

"What if I fall?" asked Hayner, feeling slightly panicked, but that was fading with the need of escaping the surrounding darkness.

"You'd land on a platform about a foot down." Said Demyx.

"Why couldn't you have brought a light?" asked Hayner to the darkness.

"See I did but its kinda got a spell that gets rid of light… look Hayner… You can do this. You're so much braver than anyone else I've met. You can do it." Said Demyx. Hayner sighed and stood up. He slowly made his way towards the edge. It felt almost like he was on the clock tower… only he would never actually jump from it. He came to the edge and jumped down, laughing in relief at the little jump.

"Okay now how do I find you?" he asked. He started shuffling forwards, hands out in front.

"Okay just… keep moving towards my voice and hopeful- OW!" said Demyx, when Hayner ran into him, hands hitting the boy's face.

"Sorry… didn't think that through." Said Hayner. Demyx took Hayner's arm and Hayner's face warmed up slightly. Slowly he shuffled backwards, pulling Hayner with him. When light flashed, Hayner was afraid it was the king again, but Demyx chuckled softly.

"It's just my torch. We've left the vicinity of the spell." He said. He smiled and started to pull Hayner along tight passages and then to a ladder, which they climbed. The ladder led up to the labyrinth and Hayner had to blink back the light. He needed to know what time it was.

"Hey Demyx… How long has it been since we met?" he asked, looking over as the boy, shut the door to the way they had just come from. Demyx pulled out a pocket watch and was about to answer, when there was a flash and Seifer strode forward.

"The hell you think you're doing?" ask Seifer, definitely not happy. "You're not helping Chickenwuss out are you?"

"What? N-no I was…. Bringing him back to the beginning! Yeah that's it." Said Demyx, pointing.

"You what?" said Hayner. He clenched his fist and stomped his foot down. He went to move past them but the King stepped in the way.

"Good because I would hate to think you were going against me." Said the King smirking.

"N-no sir… I wouldn't dare sir." Said Demyx in an almost whisper. It was different to see the cheerful Demyx, now quiet and nearly cowering. What irritated him though was that everytime he thought he had escaped trouble for a moment and could take a breather, he found himself in another trap.

"Well that's good to hear because… you know what would happen if you did." Said Sefier. All of a sudden Demyx was pressed back against with Seifer dangerously close to him. He lift Demyx's chin and leaned in whispering something. Hayner suddenly felt out of place and h wanted to get out of there. Seifer noticed him move slightly and smirked, turning from Demyx.

"See? Some people know their place." He said. He took a couple steps towards Hayner, who instinctively grabbed at his struggle bat. He hated Seifer, who had just proved that his maybe only friend in this place wasn't even on his side. He just barely managed to run up and punch him.

"I hate you, you bastard…" he muttered, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Well brat, I'm not too fond of you either." He said, causing Hayner's face to turn red with rage at being called a brat. He smirked as Hayner ran to hit him, then disappeared. Hayner stumbled and slightly tripped, his target no longer there.

"_Oh and Princess…. Its already been six hours."_ Said the king's voice, then everything grew quiet. Hayner stood there a moment, fuming. Demyx carefully made his way over to stand by him, a sheepish look on his face.

"I lied to him okay? I wasn't taking you back to the beginning… I… just… had to tell him that." Said Demyx, cautiously.

"Yeah okay." Said Hayner as he started checking out the different paths.

"No really Hayner. I… I can still help…" said Demyx. He stood there awkwardly, with his hands in his pocket.

"How do I know you won't just lead me to the beginning?" Hayner asked. He turned, eyes blazing, towards Demyx.

"Well you don't but… what choice do you have?" asked Demyx, giving a sheepish grin. Hayner sighed and ran his hands through his hair. Half his time was gone. Finally he groaned and indicated for Demyx to lead. They traveled in silence for a while and they seemed to be doing good. They stopped when they heard a cry for help and what sounded like fighting.

Together they crept forward and peeked around a corner when a boy was suspended in the air by a trap and hanging upside down. Hayner couldn't see him because his clothes hung down and covered his face. They were using spears with strange creatures on them that bit the boy.

"We have to help." Said Hayner, looking at Demyx, who was already backing away.

"What happened to being brave huh?" asked Hayner.

"No we can't get involved. Trust me, this is one of those times where being afraid is smart." Said Demyx, still backing away.

"Well I'm not walking away from this. I couldn't help anyone in that zoo but I can help now." Said Hayner, turning to look back at the poor guy. Demyx sighed, exasperated.

"Well just… damn. If you run into Axel, don't believe what you see. He isn't to be trusted. He said, moving down and away.

"Right I'll keep that in mind…" said Hayner. He looked around and sighed.

"I wish there was something we can do." He said.


	5. Chapter 4

**Title: My Heart's a Labyrinth  
Chapters: 4 of ?/ + Prologue and Epilogue  
Author: 08FanfictionAddiction  
Ch. 4 Rating: R  
Pairings: Eventual Seiner and others I'll figure out as I go along  
Spoilers: The labyrinth  
Chapter 4 Warnings: violence and dark themes  
Genre: Romance, drama, fantasy  
Summary: After a heated argument with his friend Olette, he jokingly calls the Goblin King to take her away. When it actually happens, he learns he has 13 hours to solve the King's Labyrinth before his friend becomes a part of the goblin court forever.  
A/N: Merry Early Christmas.**

* * *

This is an AU fic so most of the people he knows, he has never actually met in the fic.

I don't own KH, The Labyrinth, or struggle matches.

Hayner grabbed his struggle bat, holding it up. He started to growl and shout loudly. The goblins got all scared and confused. Then Hayner jumped out, swinging the bat at them. They bumped into each other, then scattered away.

"Pfft… 'fraidy cats." He said. He put the bat back in place and quickly walked over.

"Who's there?" asked the boy, his voice muffled from the clothes still covering his face. The boy was about as tall as Hayner, maybe a little taller. He was slightly skinny but well-toned… not that Hayner was staring.

"The name's Hayner. I'm here to help." Said Hayner.

"Yeah well can you get me down now? They could be back any minute." Said the boy. Hayner looked around and found the other end of the rope.

"Okay here we go. Count of three. One… two…" said Hayner, earning protesting from the boy. "Three!" he said, releasing the rope. The boy dropped to the ground and then proceeded to struggle with the rope that still bound him and the shirt that was still stuck. Hayner sighed and ran over to help, which was a bit of a struggle since the guy wouldn't stay still. Eventually though, the kid was free and Hayner smiled. The boy was slightly taller than him but appeared the same age and had bright, baby-blue eyes. His hair was blond but lighter than Hayner's and stuck up everywhere, mostly in the front. He wore a white vest over a gray shirt, with baggy black bottoms and a checkered belt that held them up. He also had on sandals.

"Thanks man you're like… my hero. Thanks." Said the boy, quickly hugging Hayner, causing the boy to blush, surprised. "My name's Roxas." He released Hayner and grinned, wiping the dirt off his clothes.

"Uh Hayner…" said Hayner. He stood there a moment, regaining his composure, then stepped back.

"So…. How'd you get yourself into this situation?" asked Hayner. Roxas looked around them.

"Um… maybe we should get out of here first." Said Roxas. Hayner nodded as they both turned and head off down a path. It made sense to make this boy his traveling companion after all, since they both seemed to be on the run. After awhile, they stopped and he looked at the boy.

"So… I need to get to the Goblin City Roxas…. Do you know the fastest way?" he asked, noticing the nervous twitch in the boy's fingers. Roxas tensed and thought a moment.

"Well not the fastest but… I know the general direction." He said. He turned and started walking, but stopped all of a sudden, causing Hayner to bump into him.

"Look um… you can probably tell I'm not the most popular guy around here so… traveling with me might not be a good idea." He said, rubbing the back of his head and shrugging. Hayner smirked and elbowed him, jokingly.

"Oh trust me I'm not wining any popularity contests around here either." Said Hayner, laughing, causing the blond to laugh. He stuck out his arm at an angle.

"Let's be friends." Said Hayner. Roxas nodded and did the same with his arm, putting it against Hayner's.***** Then they turned and started walking again. As they walked, Hayner started getting the feeling that maybe the labyrinth wasn't as easy as he originally thought. The maze always changed and there were so many twists and turns.

As they walked on, the hedges got taller and seemed more uncared for. The air also had a chill to it and he couldn't shake the feeling that something could be watching him. He shivered at the chill and turned to Roxas to take his mind off it.

"So… you going to tell me what happened? I mean you don't have to…" he said, shrugging.

"The least I could do since you saved me and all. Well… you should know that those were the Prince's guards that captured me. See the thing is Axel and I were sort of… involved and before I knew it, I became his permanent arm-candy, attending parties and what not. See his has this thing though… about getting what he wants… very OCD and well… I sort of cracked under the pressure of trying to be perfect and… well it wasn't my style. So I called him crazy and told him I wasn't there for him to just show-off… oh and I may have ridiculed his style a little." Said Roxas. He winced a little at the thought. Then he hooked his thumb behind him.

"Didn't go well as I'm sure you noticed. Thought I would be dead if it wasn't for you. I'm surprised I wasn't burned right on the spot… considering he's… sorta a major pyro." He said. Hayner was starting to think maybe Demyx had been right. This Axel person sounded more dangerous by the minute. They walked in a comfortable silence for a minute, before Hayner explained his situation about being in the labyrinth and how the King seemed to try and hinder his progress. Roxas was sympathetic as he knew of the King's temper from the times he had to escort the Prince. Roxas didn't have any advice about the Labyrinth but he did promise to help Hayner rescue Olette. Another ally for Hayner.

As they walked on, the path narrowed and eventually, they came across bushes of red roses, which was weird in the fact that most of them were burnt. Hayner gave Roxas a look, glad the boy got out unscathed by fire. Roxas looked worried and unsure. A moment later, they round a corner and came across a red and black mansion-looking building. Roxas took a step back.

"I seem to have gotten us mixed up… I'm sorry I don't know how this happened. You need to…" Said Roxas. Suddenly, he pulled Hayner back behind a row of recently charred bushes as some fire flew past their head and he heard a voice laughing. Roxas took Hayner's arm and gave him an apologetic look, pulling him away. They promised to stick together after all.

"Hey come on Roxy… Theres no point in running." Said a male voice. They stepped out, Roxas standing between him and what might happen. Hayner knew this must have been the Prince from how tense Roxas was. The man was tall and had the air of royalty about him, even though he looked far from being a prince. The man had spiky red hair that stuck up behind him, with piercing green eyes that told of mischief. He an upside-down teardrop shape under both eyes that appeared purple or almost black in color. He had a charming smirk and he wore all black clothes. Long black pants, with combat boots and a button up top. He had a choker necklace and a few chains that hung off his pants.

"Roxy I was wondering where you had gotten. We don't have enough people for our game and we can't start the carnival without it." Axel said this casually, as if he hadn't just tried to attack them. His eyes flicked over to Hayner. "And who is this?" he asked, looking Hayner over like meat.

"It's Hayner…. Your majesty." Said Hayner, giving a stiff bow. He'd rather not piss off the red-head.

"Is it?" asked Axel, his eyes lighting up. He smirked and whispered something to his guards, which quickly surrounded the two boys. They started to march towards the mansion… thing. More guards join them as they walked and Roxas kept his head down. Hayner glanced at the boy, seeing small fear in his eyes about hidden things. As they came around one of the sides, he could see large stands set up with cheering spectators. He saw some of Larxene's creatures. He could also see the field and he realized what he was looking at. It looked like a large struggle field. His fingers started to twitch with anticipation.

He tore his gaze from the field and towards the stands, nearly freezing when he saw who was there. He saw Larxene in a blu-ish gown, but what caught his attention was that the king was next to her, as intimidating as ever. The king turned and gave a bow to the prince, who bowed in return. The king caught his gaze and gave an honest-to-gods smile. The king looked so in his element and slightly relaxed and his smile was genuine. Hayner flushed when the king smirked because of his staring. He just tore his gaze away as he was pushed forward.

"I found our dear Roxy and his interesting guest… Hayner was it?" said the Prince. Hayner just nodded, causing the king to give an amused smirk and turn to Larxene, who, if looks could kill, would have Hayner on the ground.

"Well Roxy was supposed to play for your side but I think I'd like to keep him close." Said Axel, putting an arm around Roxas, who stiffened at the touch. "Anyways, I was thinking Hayner can play for your team your Majesty." The King nodded in agreement and flashed Hayner a smile.

"Alright. The Chickenwuss can join… and if I win then you let him and Blondie there go. If I don't win well you're free to do with them as you wish." Said the King, shrugging casually. Axel's smile became both flattering and maniacal at the same time as he agreed. The guards separated the two boys, Roxas shoving back at the guards a little. Hayner knew there was more to him and Axel's relationship than Roxas let on. He also couldn't help but notice the look on Larxene's face that he was getting to participate. He was led to the field and given a vest that represented the king's color. Two other people came over, wearing the same colored vests. One was taller with spiky brown hair and was slightly muscular, not that Hayner noticed. He held a weird sort of gunblade. The other person was also tall and had hair similar to Roxas, but the spikes were longer. He had a huge sword as well.

"You don't seem to be worried." Said the blond one. The brown-haired one just stood there, with his arms crossed. They seemed to be experienced. Hayner just shrugged.

"I do things like this all the time." He said. Struggle had become his life. It made him feel… alive. The blond studied him a moment.

"Hmm… maybe just your appearance is deceiving…. Anyways. I'm Cloud and the brooding one is Squall." He said, indicating the one behind him with a slight movement of his head.

"That's Leon." Said the brown-haired one, uncrossing his arms. He stepped forward and studied Hayner a moment. "Why would the King choose a kid like you…" he muttered. He posed into what seemed like a thinking pose. Cloud nearly sweat-dropped and pat the boy's shoulder.

"Don't mind him. We protect our own here after all… sometimes…. If we feel they deserve it. Just don't be a pushover." Said Cloud, punching Hayner's arm and causing him to wince. Hayner frowned and huffed. He was stronger than he looked.

"So the rules are simple. Everyone from the groups is paired to fight someone from another group. They battle to the last person, then they move on and face another group." Said Cloud. Hayner nodded and glanced at the group they were about to face. They were clad in light reds and black. The Prince's colors. One of the men there had long, slightly spiky, and pink hair. He smirked and brushed some of it away, causing some rose petals to brush off. Sure enough, when their foes were announced, that was the one he was made to fight. The man smiled and raised a dainty hand.

"My name dear one… is Marluxia. May the best… man win." He said, with a soft voice. He had a scythe leaning against his shoulder. Hayner took his hand, wincing when Marluxia squeezed it. He growled and pulled it away.

"I plan to." Said Hayner, stepping back. Needless to say that Marluxia under estimated him and was quickly taken out. Hayner offered a hand to help him up. Marluxia eyed him, warily, then took his hand.*****

"Guess I…. underestimated." He said, before he feel unconscious. Hayner noticed the King, Cloud, Leon and quite a few others had survived. He stepped off to the side while the next group battles. The King's group got to go again, and he faced a man with long silver hair. He had a silver shirt buttoned halfway up and a cape that was slung over his shoulder. He sported the colors purple and gold, which was apparently run by a short girl with spiky-ish silver hair and a bored look.* Setzer's eyes raked over Hayner and he gave a wolfish grin. Hayner growled and got in a defensive stance.

"Setzer. Remember it because you'll be screaming it tonight." Said the man, smirking. Hayner scoffed and held out his sword… He was pretty sure the King was staring at them.

"Lets make a bet. If I win, you get to spend the night with me." Said Setzer, standing casually with his sword against his shoulder. Hayner balled his fist.

"Don't make bets that wont happen." Said Hayner. Truth was, he didn't want to bet because he was already growing tired and losing confidence on this battle. He didn't let it show though as the battle started. The battle went on for awhile, both getting decent hits off. They were back to another face off as Hayner tried to plan his next move. Setzer smirked, about to make a comment, leaving an opening for Hayner to attack. Hayner rushed forward, making hits and not relenting. Setzer dropped his sword and stumbled back before falling to his knees. Hayner smirked and gave one more hit, a massive power attack/combo,***** sending him falling back. He thought the guy deserved it after all for what he said.

Hayner head to the side and sat down, letting himself rest. There was one more battle but this time it was all the remaining members from each team. One mass struggle battle. It was unfair considering how many people were left on some teams, but he wouldn't voice his opinion. He looked to see how many people on the things team. He noticed Leon and Cloud still standing as well as a girl with short silver hair. The King, of course, was also still in. Hayner walked over to the others.

"Hey look who's made it the final round." Said Cloud. Leon looked up and noticed Hayner. The girl peeked at him with the one eye that wasn't covered. Hayner rubbed his head and shrugged. Cloud gave an actual smile and point at the girl.

"That's Fuu. She doesn't say much. Anyways like I said before, we protect our own. So we wont let you get too bloodied up out there. Besides… I doubt the King would let that happen." Said Cloud, smirking. Hayner could feel the King's eyes on him and involuntarily shivered. The players were called to the field.

"Time to play." Said Leon. He smirked and started walking over.

"Annihilation." Said Fuu, following them. Hayner nodded and head out with them. He noticed the leaders from the team were out.

"Lets see… you know the Prince… Over there, leading Team War, is Duchess Pain." Said Cloud, indicating the other silver-haired girl Hayner had seen before. "The silver and green team is Team Blitz. His name is Waka." Hayner noticed their leader, who was tossing a ball around. He seemed laid back and easy, but Hayner learned to not judge on looks. Waka noticed him and walked over, offering to shake his hand.

"You must be Hayner ya?" he said with a sort of islands accent. He tied a headband around his head and smiled. "Show us your stuff out there ya?" he said, before rejoining his team. Hayner gathered in the King's corner and wait for the match to start. The other teams had all gathered in the other corners. Finally a horn was blown and everything seemed to slow down as everyone rushed forward. Finally they all collided and people were caught in two, sometimes three or four-way battles. Hayner felt a rush of adrenaline as the battles surged on and he discovered a new found strength. Sweat was dripping as he swung his sword. Eventually, people started to drop. Cloud and Duchess Pain ended up getting out, followed by almost everyone on the Prince's Team. Hayner swung his sword, taking out someone from Waka's team.

Finally everyone from Pain's team was taken out, at the price of Leon. There were quite a few more left on Waka's team than the King's. They needed a new plan of action. The King, Fuu, and Hayner stood back to back, facing Axel and two of his lackeys, one of which was a guy with dreadlocks and lances, but he seemed to be tired. Waka's team had 5 members left. Hayner looked over at the King, who seemed normal and his zone here. He also looked… well hot with the sweat gleaming off him as he stood in a defensive stance. He noticed Hayner staring and he gave a side glance and a smirk.

"Hope you're ready Chickenwuss." Joked the King. His breathing was slightly labored. Hayner smirked and turned to look more at him.

"Why? You getting tired already?" he joked back, causing Seifer to give a genuine laugh. Hayner looked over at Fuu and she nodded.

"Total Destruction." She said. Hayner nodded and gripped his bat and smirked. He turned and rushed forward. They all held their own, taking out two of Waka's team and one of The Prince's team. Fuu, however, ended up dropping. Hayner cursed as he backed up. He backed up so far, bumping into the King. They stood back to back, both having locked swords and trying to dodge Waka's Blitzball attack. Hayner swung his sword and whacked the ball back. It hit Waka, causing him to stumble back surprised. Suddenly a lightbulb seemed to appear and he glanced at the king, who had the same look. A form of silent communication passed between them as well as a strong energy of sorts.

"You feel that Chickenwuss?" he asked, smirking. Hayner gave a small grin back and in a quick movement, they pushed against each other, quickly trading spots and using each other to push off and charge at the enemies. The enemies were greatly surprised. Hayner and Seifer jumped back. Their bodies started to move in sync as they cooperated to unleash combo hits on their enemies. IT was like some sort of intricate dance that left both of them breathless when they finished. He had never done anything like that with anybody and as the combo came to an end, they both seemed to feel a great power flow through them, letting them unleash one last powerful combo attack that took out their enemies.*****

Their enemies dropped and both men were breathing heavily. People sat in shock before, there was a roaring applause. Hayner huffed out a laugh and smiled. Members of the crowd came to congratulate him; mostly the Team leaders and the ones he had fought. They complimented his sword skills and one time Hayner looked at Seifer, not noticing that look in his eyes.

The King walked over and took Hayner's hand and he thought Seifer would shake it but he touched Hayner's fingers to his lips and gave a small kiss. Hayner couldn't stop the blush that spread.

"You've got a momentary gain Hayner. You should take it." Seifer whispered softly with a smile. Then he let go and Hayner slipped out of the crowd, heading towards the guarded Roxas. The guards took the cue and stepped away.

"Dude it was awesome watching you fight and now you've saved me again!" said Roxas. He smiled, pulling Hayner into a tight hug. When he was released, Hayner lightly punched his arm.

"Thank me later. We should go before any of the new enemies I've made get any ideas." He said. He turned to leave, when he heard his name called. He turned and saw Cloud, Leon, and Fuu, waving at him.

"Hey it was fun fighting with you. Keep it up and come visit sometime huh?" said Cloud, waving. Surprisingly, Leon gave a smile.

"We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other." He said, arms crossed. Hayner was impressed with how poetic and yet… Leon that phrase was.

"FRIENDS!" shouted Fuu. She had a small smile and she was waving frantically. Hayner smiled and waved back, scoffing.

"Of course we're friends! See you guys!" he called back. He waved, then quickly turned and head away from the playing grounds, Roxas on his heels. Eventually, they had come to the carnival area. They noticed stalls and tents were already up, as well as many different signs like "Rikku the Contortionist", "Hall of Illusions", and the "Fortune Tellings from Yuna."*** **Hayner couldn't help but shiver when he saw some cages, remembering his visit to the zoo. He walked forward quickly, coming across shopping stalls, selling all kinds of things. He found a shop that sold beautiful masks. Further on, were food stalls, which Hayner had to drag Roxas away from, even though everything looked and smelled so good.

At the far edge of the carnival was a stall and outside the stall stood a man with short blond hair, smoking a cigarette and leaning against a podium of sorts.

"Early aren't you?" he asked, surprising Hayner with an English accent. The man's eyes glanced up at them and from closer look, Hayner could see peircings.

"Yeah just… beating the crowds. Not too early though?" asked Hayner, before Roxas could speak. The man tossed the cigarette down and stomped it out.

"Not for me. My name's Luxord, keeper of the House of Cards." He said. Hayner introduced himself but Roxas was distracted.

"So here's how this works. You play three rounds of cards with me. If you win, you can pick from three doors, one which leads to a field near the Goblin City, one that leads to the start of the carnival, which would then require you to pay or the last door which leads to the Jiang-chi forest but… you don't want to go there. You cross into their territory well…" he said, but he paused for a moment "Well its basically full of vampires…" HE didn't need to say anymore.

"If I don't win?" asked Hayner., worried about the answer.

"You get one door that leads to wherever it wants. You look like you know a thing or two though." Said Luxord, smirking. Hayner took a few breaths, then nodded.

"Okay we'll play your game." Said Hayner. Luxord smiled and held open the tent flap to let them in.

* * *

**A/N:**

**A few quick things that I marked above:**

***Like that Handshake they do in KH2…. Didn't know how to describe it**

***Use your imagination for this battle cuz I wanted to get past it and didn't know how to write it quickly.**

***Kinda like in KH 2 when it has the triangle prompts to make those combo moves.**

***That Hayner/Seifer combo is also like in KH 2 when Sora does that combo/ trinity type moves with one of his Party Members.**


End file.
